Old Testament/
Genesis

Abram’s tithe to the king of Salem is illustrative of what the people of God must do for the kingdom. Today, review your finances and look at how you schedule your time. Consider giving more of your time and ...Read More

Paul admonishes us to examine ourselves to see whether we have true faith (2 Cor. 13:5). The blessings we see in our lives are by themselves not sufficient proof that we belong to God. After all, Esau was blessed ...Read More

It is comforting to know that despite our best efforts, we cannot undo the
Lord’s intent to bless His children. Still, we cannot take this as a license to
sin, for our evil ways will inevitably cause us much ...Read More

Sometimes we can go through periods where nothing seems to go our way. This does not always mean the Lord is pointing out a need to repent an unconfessed sin as He did with Joseph’s brothers. Yet it is ...Read More

John Calvin comments on today’s verses, writing that when God sees false worship, “combined with gross and manifest mockery of himself, it is not surprising that he hates it and is unable to bear it.” If we do not ...Read More

How do you read the warnings of sacred Scripture? Do you take them seriously or do you assume that you are incapable of the sins of someone like David or Peter? What about public worship? Do you continue hating your ...Read More

The principles of how we are to act in certain situations are clearly given in Scripture. Yet, like Abraham, we can be guilty of going our own way. When the Lord plainly makes His intent for us known, we must ...Read More

Being a servant in the kingdom of God does not carry with it a life of ease. In His wisdom, the Lord has seen fit to exact His reign through weak disciples in whom His power is made perfect (2 ...Read More

When God purposes to set His chesed — His covenant love — upon us, there is nothing that can take it away (Rom. 8:38–39). How has the Lord manifested His chesed in your life? What problems and dangers have you ...Read More

Baptism is the counterpart to circumcision in the new covenant (Col. 2:8–15), and it is therefore a mark of God’s possession of us. We are “branded” by the Lord in our baptism, and every time we witness ...Read More

One of the great heritages of the Reformed tradition is the regulative principle, which recognizes that worship must be governed by the Word of God and not whatever we happen to think is best. How do you approach the worship ...Read More

The Westminster Confession of Faith summarizes the biblical teaching on the visible church when it says that outside of the church there is no ordinary possibility of salvation (25.2). Being a visible church member does not guarantee a place ...Read More

Scripture is clear that church discipline is not to be carried out with the aim of vengeance. Instead, restoration must be the aim, and a disciplined person is to be forgiven when he repents (2 Cor. 2:5–11).
All ...Read More

The many biblical laws regarding marriage and divorce as well as God’s comparison of the relationship with His people to a marriage (see Jer. 31:31–32) demonstrate the covenantal nature of marriage. How do you view marriage? Do ...Read More

It is a sobering truth to realize that God still requires perfect obedience from us. His requirements do not change and we have no excuse for disobeying Him. Since we cannot obey God, we must trust in the perfect obedience ...Read More